


no one said school was easy, kid (high school au)

by barryallens



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-14
Updated: 2015-04-26
Packaged: 2018-03-22 19:06:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3740185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/barryallens/pseuds/barryallens
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>High School au</p><p>Barry Allen is your average dorky teen, who is helplessly in love with his next door neighbor, Iris West. But despite his efforts, Iris doesn’t even know he exists. That is, until their bus route changes and Barry and Iris are forced to share a bus with only each other and the driver. Close quarters drive them together- but will Iris fall for Barry?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Stalking Isn’t A Joke

**Author's Note:**

> enjoy!

Barry Allen smiled as a pretty young girl walked past his lunch table. He sighed, watching her every move, noting every detail- how gracefully she walked, how she bit her lip while thinking (probably about news stories), and how pretty she looked as the wind whipped her curly cocoa curls behind her.

“Stalker!” teased Cisco, jabbing his friend’s skinny, freckled arm and distracting him from Iris.

Caitlin, seated opposite Barry, frowned. “Stalking is not a joke,” she hissed, “ You wonder why Iris doesn’t talk to you- she’s probably scared stiff!”

Barry rolled his eyes and smirked, the corners of his mouth curling into a smile. “You’re one to talk, with how you stalk Ronnie!”

The girl stiffened and began to twist a curl of her amber hair around a finger. “I do not stalk him!” whined Caitlin defensively. She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. “I.. don’t really stalk him, do I?” she asked cautiously. She sighed in defeat. “I suppose I do kind of stalk him a little. But I’d say it’s more of watching from a distance.” 

The boys began to pound the dank grey cafeteria tables, howling with laughter. “Stalk… him! Oh.. my god! You’re.. right!”  Cisco choked out. During their uncontrollable fit of laughter, someone smoothly slid into the stool next to Barry and poked him with a slender finger. 

“Excuse me?” she asked, quite distracted, “You’re Allen, Barry, right?” 

Barry froze. He immediately straightened up and ran a hand through his messy brown hair. “Um, yes.” he answered. Despite his panic, he stayed cool. “And you’re I- Iris West? To what do I owe the pleasure?” He internally slapped himself. No one said that anymore- he was going to sound stupid. Now there was no way she’d ever want to talk to him again.

Iris nodded, barely looking at Barry. “ I was told to tell you that your school bus has been changed. You’ll now be riding Bus 201. Same time pickup- I believe it’s closer to your house.”

Barry was about to respond, but was saved when a massively muscular blond ran between Iris and him and began to passionately make out with Iris. Barry looked away, clearly revolted. Not only was Eddie hot, he was a football player. There was no way Barry could compete with him.

Iris and Eddie ran back to their table, far away from Barry, and continued to kiss. Barry turned back to his table and smacked both fists on his lunch tray. “I hate him.” he grumbled. 

Cisco smirked at his friend. “Jealous, much?” Barry turned away from Cisco and began to glare at the sickening sight.

Caitlin sighed and walked to Barry, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Oh, come on Cisco. You were jealous when your brother started dating that girl you liked. What was her name?”

“Don’t mention her!” Cisco moaned, beginning one of many squabbles he had with Caitlin. They began to throw insults and swears at each other, but Barry only  shook his head, exasperated. He knew it would end soon- they always did. A few minutes into their fights and it’d stop with a round of laughter. Barry looked away from his arguing friends to face Iris. He’d wait until they were done- it wasn’t like he really had anyone else to talk to at the time. Felicity and Oliver were probably making out in the library or the gym, and Ronnie had recently suffered from a concussion and forgotten who everyone was, let alone his friends.  Barry turned back to Iris. Sometimes she was his only escape- one look at her and he’d be fine.


	2. Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry finally gets his one on one with Iris- but will it turn out how he always planned?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the comments and notes! Please enjoy! <3

Barry grumbled, exhausted, as he got out of bed. He punched his alarm clock to turn it off and ran a hand through his copper hair. He was going to be late for school. It wasn’t going to make a difference, really- Barry was always late, despite the fact that he was the fastest runner on the track team- but he didn’t know exactly when his bus left, as it was at a closer stop. Barry quickly threw on a STAR Labs sweatshirt and some black jeans, and raced downstairs. There was no time to eat, let alone brush his teeth or hair, so he simply grabbed his bag in a quick, sweeping motion and rushed out the door. He glanced outside and spotted a school bus only a block or two away. It wasn’t that hard to find- the yellow bus stood out from the damp beige sidewalk and foul greying sky. Barry raced to the bus, and gasped as the metallic doors swung open with a loud creak.

No one was in the bus. Well, except for the driver and Iris. Heart pounding, Barry stepped into the bus and surveyed the beaten black cushions. Perhaps it was just a prank- maybe people would suddenly jump out and scare him. Barry braced for the moment, but it never came.

“Sit down,” the bus driver barked, glaring at Barry, “Don’t wanna be late now, d’ya?” 

Barry obeyed, quickly sitting next to Iris. “Um, hey.”

Iris turned and smiled at the boy. “Barry Allen, right?” she questioned, peering at a manicured hand.

Barry grinned internally and asked “How’d you know?” He immediately regretted it. Stupid, stupid, he scolded himself.

Iris laughed and rolled her eyes, seemingly oblivious to Barry's awkward mistake. “We met yesterday. I told you your bus had changed to a closer stop, remember? And you’re our fastest runner on the track team. Congrats on the win, by the way.”

Barry sighed in relief. He was actually.. talking to her, for a change. Iris West was even more amazing in person. And she was kind of.. flirting with him. “Oh, thanks,” he blushed, rubbing the back of his neck, “I’m not really thaat good.”

The girl shook her head, brunette curls shaking with her. “Please. You’re way better than I am,” Iris snorted, “I run a 9 minute mile.”

Barry ran a hand through his hair. “6 minutes,” he laughed, “Slowpoke.”  The bus suddenly screeched to a halt.

“Get off, lovebirds!” the driver ordered gruffly, “We’re here.”

Both Iris and Barry gasped in response. “No, we’re not dating-” Barry quickly answered, eyes wide. “I mean, Iris is hot- but uh, she has a boyfriend.”

“Yea- wait what?” Iris blushed, turning to peer curiously at Barry.  

Barry glared down at the charcoal seats and stared at a particularly crude drawing, waiting for her response. It never came, though. “Oh, just get off!” laughed the driver, his beady eyes twinkling.

“Iris-” Barry started, but the girl was already gone.  


	3. secrets, secrets, are no fun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyyyy thanks for all the kudos and comments and whatnot, guys! hope you enjoy the fic! <3

Being in a small high school was not always the best thing, especially when you had secrets. Any small rumour or secret could get out in minutes. Unfortunately for Barry Allen, he went to a rather small high school.

As he sat in English, waiting for lunch period, he felt the popular’s eyes on the back of his neck, delivering dagger-like dares. Barry sighed. Of course Iris had told one of her gossipy friends- she was probably freaked out that a geeky guy like Barry would like her. He groaned, imagining how badly Eddie would react.

Eddie was Iris’s boyfriend, and god, he was protective! He disapproved of Iris hanging out with other guys that were on her cheat list, and was especially wary of her being near guys who liked her. Barry assumed that by the time class was over, he would be dragged out of class to get beaten up. With that, the lunch bell rang. Barry cautiously walked out of the classroom, expecting the worse. Though Barry was quite a skillful fighter, Eddie was extremely muscular and could easily carry Barry and dump him in a trash can.

He slipped into the bathroom. Barry would much rather have a small fight in the bathroom than a small one in public. He patiently awaited the older boy’s arrival.

It was only a few minutes of waiting when Eddie walked into the bathroom. After a quick glance at Barry, his face hardened. He swung a fist at Barry, who dodged it.

“Stay. Away. From. Iris.” Eddie growled, pushing Barry into a wall, “I swear… ”

Eddie’s face softened as another boy walked into the bathroom. He released Barry and put a falsely comforting arm on his shoulder. When the boy stepped into a stall, Eddie leaned into Barry’s neck. “Stay away from her.” he breathed. With that, he left the room.

Barry shuddered. He wasn’t too scared of Eddie- but would Iris ever talk to him again? Barry shrugged off the thought. He would have all night to ponder that, but he needed to get to lunch and tell Cisco and Caitlin everything.

Barry raced to his usual grey table and gasped when he found not Caitlin and Cisco there, but Iris as well.

“Hey Barry!” Cisco cheered, glancing at his friend, “We were just talking about you with Iris!”

Barry flushed as Iris turned and waved apologetically to him. “I’m really sorry about what happened… Eddie can be really protective. I think you’re really sweet, so I was wondering… you wanna go out tonight? Just you, me, Cisco and Caitlin?” She flipped her ebony hair behind her shoulder and made a puppy face, “Pleaaase?”

Caitlin peered out from behind Iris and grinned, “C’mon, Barry! I already suggested a great place- it has karaoke! We can finally hear you sing!”

Barry stepped back and crossed his arms with a laugh. “No, no. Sorry guys, I don’t sing!”

Iris hopped onto the table and smiled hopefully at Barry, “But you’ll come, right?”

He nodded, a smile creeping onto his face.

“Ow,” Barry winced, his smile quickly fading to a frown. He glanced down at his side- it was bruised badly.

“Oh, god!” screeched both Caitlin and Iris, “Are you okay? Did Eddie do that to you?”

Barry shrugged and lifted his shirt a little to reveal a horrible bruise. It was purple, greenish, and extremely large. But the bruise wasn’t the only thing Iris was staring at. She bit her lip to keep from smiling as she stared at his abs.

“How about I take you to the nurse’s office?” Iris asked sweetly, continuing to stare at Barry’s abs. “That’s a pretty bad bruise. And it’s my fault it happened.”

Barry nodded slowly, trying to keep from yelling in pain. Iris took his arm and carefully lead him to the office. She couldn’t wait for dinner.

  
  



	4. I don't sing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> enjoy this chapter!

Iris slipped into CC Jitters, grinning. Her ebony hair was styled in a sophisticated bun, and she wore a slightly revealing yet cute white dress. Her flowery red flats shimmered as she walked. _This date- no, dinner- would be amazing_ , she told herself. Her eyes lit up as she saw Barry, Caitlin and Cisco already waiting at a high-top table.

“Wow… you look amazing.” Barry beamed.

Caitlin nodded in agreement, “I love your dress! And your hair looks amazing!”

Iris flushed at the compliments. “Thanks! But I guess I shouldn’t have gotten so dressed up. It isn’t a date, after all.” She glanced at Barry and Cisco’s common attire to prove her point, but her eyes lingered on Barry. _Not a date, not a date_ , she reminded herself. “So, have you guys ordered yet?”

Cisco nodded, pointing to the large cups of simmering coffee. “But loverboy here got you your favorite- a frappuccino, double whipped cream and syrup.” he added, nudging Barry with a suggestive grin.

Barry rubbed his neck and smiled, “God, Cisco. So, um, are we gonna participate in Trivia Night? And then karaoke?”

Cisco and Caitlin grinned. “Hell yea we are!” Cisco yelled, reaching out to fist bump Caitlin, “Iris, you wanna play with Barry?”  

Iris glanced over to Barry, who looked at her questioningly. “Yea, I’ll play with Barry.” she confirmed, smirking smugly, “We’re gonna beat your asses.”

 

The game whooshed by quickly. The teams were nearly equally matched, and each team wanted to win, especially as a crowd was gathering. There were no friends in Trivia Night. “What 6 main elements is the human body composed of?” was the question on the Ipad. Iris looked urgently at Barry. “I know oxygen, calcium and carbon.. but what else?”

He pondered the question, then pounded a button on the Ipad. “Oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus!” he declared.

Cisco squinted at his friend, a playful frown across his face. “You got that one right, bro, but I’m gonna kill you on the engineering and modern tech questions!”

The crowd grew larger and larger as the game continued. It was soon left to the final question that would separate the winners from the losers. The audience stared in anxious silence as a question flashed onto the Ipads. “Long Answer: What is the difference between photojournalism and photography?”

Caitlin glanced at Cisco, eyes wide with confusion. He shrugged, clearly unaware of the difference.

But Iris only grinned at Barry, eyes sparkling, “A photographer is an artist who captures beauty, but a photojournalist uses that art in order to tell a story.” The Ipad made a ringing noise, declaring Barry and Iris the rightful winners. “YES!” screamed Iris as she jumped up and hugged Barry. Barry blushed.

“You were amazing!” he said. In a sudden rush of affection, he kissed Iris on the cheek. Iris grinned, blushing slightly at the kiss, and,  lost in the moment, kissed Barry in return. Barry tore away, looking dumbstruck yet also worried. What did I do? Iris wondered, trying not to smile. She wanted nothing more to kiss Barry again, to snuggle against him and run her hands through his hair.

Caitlin and Cisco watched their friends happily. “It was worth losing to see that,” Caitlin grinned, “But I bet we can beat them at karaoke!”

The couple walked back towards their friends, who waited near the stage.

“Alright, alright, who’s ready for some kaaareeookeeee?” sang Cisco, putting a hand to his ear. Iris tossed her ebony hair and smirked. “Sure, but are you ready to lose?” She looked up at Barry, eyes twinkling. “Ready to go?”

Barry’s eyes widened, distracted. “No, I don’t sing!” he replied with a shake of his head. Barry tried to stay focused on the topic and keep the lovestruck smile from his face as he savored the taste of Iris’s chapstick. It was such a 5th grade thing to do, but he didn’t care. “No,” Barry repeated, to make sure he hadn’t missed something in the conversation.

“Aw, come on Barry!” his friends pleaded. When he didn’t sing, Caitlin pursed her lips, then screeched, “BA-REE, BA-REE!” Cisco’s eyes lit up, and he began to cheer and pound the table. Soon many of the people in CC Jitters joined in.

“Come on, Barry, you can’t refuse!” Iris yelled.

The boy sighed in resignation and stepped up to the stage. “What should I sing?” he asked.

Iris paused and smiled devilishly, “Summer Nights.”

As Barry grabbed a microphone with a hefty groan, the room began to darken and colorful show lights began to gleam. “Summer lovin, had me a blast, summer lovin, happened so fast,” he sang.

Iris stared at the boy in shock. His voice was the perfect balance between pitchy and deep- it was tremulous yet extremely appealing. Iris grinned up at her friend and pretended to fan herself. It took all she had to not really fawn over the boy. When the song was over, Barry flashed a wink at Iris, surprising even himself.

“Oh, god, you’re amaz-” Caitlin was interrupted by Cisco.

“BRO WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME YOU COULD SING?” he demanded, grinning at his friend. He lightly punched Barry, “That’s so cool! I can’t sing at all.”

Barry glanced at Iris for her opinion. She raised her eyebrows and smirked. “You’re good, Allen.”

Barry smiled at Iris, and she returned the smile. _God_ , she thought, _I think I’m actually in love with this nerd._

  



End file.
